Friday, April 30, 2010

Just one quilt from the local quilt show that we attended last weekend. This is the town that swallowed up my village. Which poses some interesting complications on occasion. (Well living in my condominium within the village poses some complications on its own as well.) The Village has several pools, we can only use the one that our Condo maintains - even though part of our condo fee goes to the village association... (Etc.) (We basically don't get anything for the fees that the condo pays to the association.)

Anyway I posted this because I am still debating wether or not I will go to another local show today after work. You see the last time I went, I did not take a single photo (harsh way to judge, but I am a visual person.) - though in the past I had taken several. Also I would need to bring Jacob & they do not allow strollers. (I kind if think that letting a 17 month old baby run amok would be one way to show them the folly of their rule - it's not like they banned wheel chairs.)

What would you do? Quick answers appreciated since I need to let my husband know. :o)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

So I was driving along - to a local quilt show - & I saw that our neighbors had their babies.So I decided that as long as the weather permitted, that Jacob & I would call on them to meet the babies. This included taking a walk with a 17 month old child who had ideas of his own regarding the walk. He did not want to leave that bridge. Could you blame him? He is also ready to climb the chain link fence. Or just sit on a park bench.Oh wait a minute, I was going to tell you about our neighbors who just had their babies... She was still nesting, but... she had babies! & he got to see them! Our happy neighbors with their new brood.

Monday, April 26, 2010

He will get it - eventually. :o)We got that bookcase/storage unit on Saturday at IKEA & put it together the same day. (I can now admit that I wondered if it was going to live inits box for a "while.") This might sound like I am patting my own darn self on the back, but the place looks better already!

This was supposed to be my design wall shot for last Monday:During my sew-n-tell meeting I cut more of these (mostly the oranges) strips. You see in the distant past - like maybe 5 years ago, this was going to be a quilt as you go Roman Stripes quilt. With the fish as large triangles & the stripes being warm on one side & cool on the other with the black being used as sashing & binding. I apparently do not care for quilt as you go & so this sat & sat & sat. I had many strips already cut - at random widths.... For the better part of 6 months, maybe even a year I have been resisting the urge to make a spiderweb quilt - I finally bit the bullet. My "Kites" will be black & there will be strips of the fish interspersed through out, but most of the fish will be on the back. I just need to finish making strips - especially blue ones!

My current design wall is just a pile of fabrics.The first one has "all" of the greens that I pulled:I then culled several & have settled on this selection:(Would you add any greens from photo one to photo two?)These will become a Mixtape quilt. I just need to start fussy cutting those martians!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

"Being that this is primarily a quilting blog liberally seasoned with all the other things in my life, I believe this is a good thing." By Libby.

I concur 100% - now if I could just quit napping after work before I pick up my baby... (The guilt is overwhelming - only subsiding when I think about the daycare bill & fall alseep when I should be quilting... dammit.)

Just to be clear - he loves to play with his friends & did not enjoy it when mommy tried to take a nap on his watch!

Maybe this afternoon I will take some photos of what I did on Sunday...

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

This quilt won a "big" ribbon at Mid-Atlantic & nothing at Lancaster. Somewhere in that sentence is my explanation for going to several "big" quilt shows a year. (Hershey is still around the corner.) More than anything, I like what this quilt is saying (at least to me) about how connected some people are to their technology & how disconnected tehy are from their surroundings. The assumption that I made is that they are in Italy - but she has hr nose in a mirror & he is looking at the photos that he took earlier - with his iPhone on the table ready to summon him away from Italy...closer:&&For the record, in general while I love pictoral quilts I am not a fan of the painting on fabric or the folded 3-D aspects of this quilt. So this one completly captured me by its message - not as a quilt...

What is your take? How do you feel about this paiting on fabric/quilt? Why do you think it won a blue ribbon at one show & nothing at another?

closer: (Love the turquoise)even closer: Love how the selvage was used. (Look again at the previous two shots to see where I am zooming you into... Do you see how the placement of that selvage is anything but random?) I also liked how the buildings were made using pieced blocks.

I am taking another look through my quilt show photographs. (Mid-Atlantic specifically.) I apparently saw this quilt at Mid-Atlantic & a Lancaster. I apparently liked it more at Lancaster, because there I got a close up shot as well.

Monday, April 19, 2010

1. I hand quilted a mini-quilt - I now have the tell tale pricks to go with a nice paper cut. I also attached a binding & subsequently removed it - it was that bad & not my turn, I am supposed to add an embellishment on this round.2. This will sound prideful, but I can make a PERFECT hard boiled egg - no green ring. (Too bad that my son was not interested in the resulting tomato & egg gratin that I made with those eggs.) I am a bit prideful about my eggs because I know & am related to so many people who do not own this skill set. (Not that this skill is all the special or valuable. I am probably the only one who even knows/notices.) Meanwhile, onion juice does not feel good in a paper cut or the pricks left over from hand quilting. (If the onion makes your eyes water - it will make a hole in your skin smart too - rule of thumb.)3. IKEA - how do I love your breakfast so much & yet dislike you flat pack furniture so... (We are going back on Saturday for breakfast & to make the "big" purchase, thanks to my uncle who owns a truck. I guess that I should get something for the crock pot so that I can feed him after making him work. - I'll be getting a six pack of cinnamon rolls too.)4. Sew-n-Tell, my mini-group. (We did soome sneaky talk without getting caught!) They either took my fabric for personal use or for love quilts - either result is fine with me. Yes sir, yes sir 6 grocery bags full. My cat stash was halved! I also culled my creamy neutrals, my black on blacks, & my blue, yellow, & blue&yellow stashes. & I cut strips from one of my "Kits" so that I can make a spiderweb quilt. (I have finally been caught in that sticky web.)How can you blame me with all of this inspiration? example 1, 2, 3, & 4 (Just the tip of the iceberg.) Most used this tutorial.5. Taupe... (Not that I workd on it, just thought about it.) My big helper. My new stash space is next to my bed, so I sort with my big helper.He does not apprear to be a big fan of the wovens. (Though he might have been showing displeasure in my "not that pile" actions.) & he makes that face when he has "manic hands." (They really do seem to move quicker & with less thought & precision.)6. On Friday, I am getting a new microwave installed.7. Next weekend = local quilt show! Last year we walked to the show from our condo - it was so hot & I was wearing my baby.

Friday, April 16, 2010

This photo highlights my morning.(These are 2T & a bit big, but they were under $3 & he will grow into them.)Baby/Toddler sizes. Grumble.(Caveat - some things purchased at the outlet, so the sizing could be why they where there in the first place.)The Hiking beatles fan shorts - size 12 (He is 16.5 months & I almost donated them when sorting through his clothes.)This morning we put on size 18 month shorts. He rolled over & there was a huge gap. So I rolled him back over, I did not even have to un button them to get them off. So I grabbed a size 24 month pair of shorts. They fit which is great for today, but will they last the summer? Good question.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

My Microwave is broken. (I did not realize how often I use it.)I need to buy a storage solution for Jacob's toys & books. (One for his bedroom & one for the living room.)I need to purge some more fabric to make room for Jacob in the closet in his room. It is 100% shelved & I am hoping to clear 1 if not 2 shelves. I am hoping to end up with "Kits." Having all of the loose fabric contained on the shelving unit in my bedroom. Tall order, but I am going to start by taking some fabric to my sew-n-tell group this Sunday. Maybe even some kitties. (I am going to cut my 1/2 yards into fat quarters & hope that that eliminates some volume.)

My carrots worked out last night & Jacob ate some - he previously was not impressed with them. But he did not like the quinoa - at all. (The beef wasn't bad reheated with some fresh balsamic vinegar.)More beef tonight - with carrots & egg noodles.Salmon with spinach & feta tomorrow. - completely different flavor range.

So on Monday I cooked a roast in the crock pot with full intentions on eating it 3 days in a row. (Lazy? Maybe.) The outcome - it was o.k. (I have to remind myself that I am not a big fan of crock pot meat. I keep forgetting.)So last night I was "planning" on serving it with frozen green beans & quinoa. We has spaghetti & marinara instead? Why? Because I am LAZY - we had the meat all cooked & I decided to boil water for pasta & heat up some jarred sauce instead of cooking the quinoa, heating the beef & nuking the beans.

Well as a redeaming factor, I did chop my carrots for meal 3 - the shredded bits of the beef & the onions served with boiled carrots & egg noodles. (If I can only get those carrots cooked tonight without running out of water - that happened the last time I tried to boil carrots - not pretty.) I am kind of in the mood for boiled potatoes too - maybe my menu is evolving... (Too bad I finally learned how to boil an egg - growing up we threw them in with the potatoes - or I would cook some of them as well - nice snack to have at the ready.)

No, I am not even hungry. (But I think that I prefer Pepsi One to Pepsi Max - please remind me the next time I am in the store.)

Please indulge me with one more post on the Taupe Tumbler mistake.If the blocks are cut 12 inches, you calculate using 11.5 when figuring out the final size after sewing. Right? (My quilt math sucks.)As it stands now I will either do 7 x 7 or 80.5 inches square. (queen size mattress - 60 x 80/ queen batt - 90 - 108)But I was considering 7 x 9 (I have no idea why I skipped over 7 x 8.) or 80.5 x 103.5. Which left me thinking is 80.5 to narrow? (7 x 9 = 63 squares - this math is also running through my head.)What about 8 x 8 (I like square quilts.) or 92 inches square. (64 squares) Now that I have typed all of this out, that would push me out of a queen sized batt. So 80.5 must be "wide enough."

Is 103.5 too long? Would 80.5 x 92 be "better?" Should I stick with the "original" 7 x 9 - because I have already pulled the fabrics? No, my long armer will need more than 4.5 inches...

Welcome to my brain! - Now I need to cull 7 fabrics & sew up a 7 x 8 quilt! (After I cut & trim every thing down to 12 inches square. I'll be back if I screw up that plan too.)

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

1. THANKS to all who took the time to reply.2. Why can't you make it smaller?I am using an acrylic template - the kind where you plop it down & cut around it. I was only starting out with 12.5 inch squares to minimize the waste. Hardee Har Har!3. Will you be happy with just squares after you started out wanting tumblers?Well, what I wanted in addition to a tumbler quilt was a dark quilt. I actually wanted dark first. So much so that I sorted dark, dark medium, medium, & then light. (With a few fat 8th exceptions & duplicate fat quarters) I then pulled 49 darks, dark mediums, & mediums.

So last night I decided to pull the rest of the mediums & see if I had enough & if I would still get the look that I was after. I had enough (If anyone really had to wonder.) BUT (Yes, there is always a "but.") it was not very dark. So I took a look a the error cuts - those were mostly dark... Whereas the ones that I cut correctly were dark medium mostly...Take a look to see what I mean: These are the ones that I cut too short. (I know some of them look really light - but they are plaids & the other part of the plaid is darker...) Do you see the woven stars? & the blue next to it? I really wanted them in the quilt. More to the point the pieces to the right of the stars - gee those are DARK... The three columns on the left are cut correctly. The two on the right are the mediums from my stash. See what I mean about some of them being dark, but mostly dark medium? (Especially the reds, greens, & that purple. & Just about the whole row on the far left.) The mediums from my stash all by themselves.

Since I wanted a dark quilt & I messed up in cutting the darks, I am going to go with the squares quilt - only I will add in my mediums as well & make a 7x9 quilt. I will be happy with the result - if not over the moon.

4. Can you mix small & large tumblers?NO - "I" can not - maybe you can or maybe it can be done, that is beyond my skill set.5. Can you redraft the template, reducing it to about 96% would work?Again - beyond my skill set...

At least I won't waste a lot when I trim the larger squares down...(For 1/2 a minute, I thought about making this into a pieced back - aka 2 sided quilt... Not at $17.50 on average per yard - more like $5 per fat quarter...)

It will feel great to have a quilt made out of this special part of my stash... (I have 3 other quilt planned for these wovens & the complimentary cottons. Snowball, Card Tricks & Double X. & Now that I have cut into these, it should be easier to cut into the rest...)

Monday, April 12, 2010

This is for dinner. It is in my crock-pot cooking (actually it finished cooking almost 2 hours ago) as I type. So I have not tasted it, but it sounded good. (I am not doing the corn bread.)I will NEVER be able to make it for $5, not even with free onions, garlic, & vinegar. You see, Kosher meat is in a work expensive. & paid $7.99 per pound & though that that was a good deal. Thank you Trader Joes, not only are you convenient, but fairly priced as well. :o)

I am hoping to get several meals (Maybe not a weeks worth) out of my chuck roast.

This is actually a miniature of the quilt that would be on my deisgn wall.

You see in addition to this thimble sized tumbler, I have a flower pot sized one as well. (Roughly 12.5 inches wide & high.)

I wanted to make this quilt in JUMBO size. So I cut 49 (7 x 7 layout) 12.5 inch squares...

& then I was going to take a photograph of the pile of squares with the template on top. OOPS - several are 12.5 x 12. Like about 13 of them...

So I am now in a quandry & am asking for advice.Make the Tumber quilt 6 x 6 instead of 7 x 7 (Because I luckily have 36 squares that are big enough & Cut most of them from fat quarters - so there isn't enough to cut another from the "mistakes.") or make a 7x7 quilt from 12 inchs squares

Please let me know what you think - 6x6 Tumber or 7x7 squares?(If you choose tumblers, what would you do with the other squares?)

Or choose new fabrics & cut them so that you can go back to the original 7x7 tumbler. (My original plan used dark & medium dark woven taupes - I can probably add some more mediums...)

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Holiday project that I failed on.... I forgot to open the spoon package until late & we probably should have been loading up the spoon for a while now. He figures that even with pudding he can get it to his mouth more quickly with his fingers.

I was also going to work seriously with the whole drinking water thing...

While Jacob napped, I decided to take out my sewing machine. Luckily she was threaded & had a full bobbin. The next couple of posts finish this story. I am going back to cutting. Which reminds me - it took me far to long to "remember" how to cut the fabric. & at $17.50 per yard, I did not want to mess up. (I should have started with something simpler....)

My favorite thread cutter. You might or might not be able to tell, but I thought that I could sew some Flower Pot sized thimbles. After being away from the sewing machine for so long, I probably should have started with squares. (I did sew some "maverick stars" before the tumblers to get me warmed up & to start to get me caught up with obligation sewing.)

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Another Cherry Blossom photo. BTW I have never seen a line to the ladies restroom at this end of this memorial - even on super busy days.One of my quilter girl friends came over for dinner on Friday evening, we had brisket with carrots & potatoes.BUT we played with my fabric before hand & I have a "few" taupes. :o)At the Mid-Atlantic quilt show I saw a quilt in the Pinwheels booth that used woven Taupes & their flower pot template - I am going to make my own bigger version. :o)

Friday, April 02, 2010

WALNUT MERINGUES2.5 cups ground walnuts 2 cups confectioners' sugar (I used the Kosher for Passover variety that uses potato starch instead of corn starch)3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon coarse salt4 large egg whitespreheat to 375 degrees. Pulse walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor until mixed well. (If you have to use pieces, pulse until finely ground - but avoid making walnut butter.)Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold walnut mixture into whites in 2 additions. Using 2 teaspoons, spoon onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until deep gold, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on a wire rack. The Meringues can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days, but I have never had them last that long.(You can move onto the second recipe without cleaning your food processor.)Recipe for the cookies on the left.

WALNUT COOKIES2 cups ground walnuts½ cup sugar1 egg¼ teaspoon ground cinnamonPreheat the oven to 325 F Process all of the ingredients in a food processor until it forms a firm paste.With wet hands, form the mixture into 1 inch balls. Arrange on parchment lined baking sheets. Flatten each ball with your moist fingers.Bake for 15-20 minutes, until they just begin to brown. Remove them from the baking pan and cool on a wire rack.

It is a toss up because the second recipe is easier to make, but I think that I prefer the first recipe...

Thursday, April 01, 2010

I really liked this quilt. I generally do like the Alphabets, but I usually do not care so much for the samplers & yet this is a sampler. I really like the "accents" near the letters... I like how the letters are partially blocked by the blocks. & I like how the quilter solved the "how do I make it square?" issue that surrounds Alphabet quilts.